The Adventures of Young Amanda West
by Dustfingers-Angel
Summary: Before the Avengers, even before Tony Stark became Iron Man, Amanda West was an agent of SHIELD. She grew up under the watchful eye of Nick Fury, while being parented by Phil Coulson, and finding best friends in the young agents, Clinton Barton and Natasha Romanoff. A bit of Hawkeye/OC in places. Part of my Amanda West series. Disclaimer: i don't own Marvel
1. Hospitalisation Isn't That Bad

The pain was surreal; too intense, too mind numbing. He had come out of nowhere; my only reaction was to protect myself. I tried to draw up an ice 'armour' around me but I was too slow to stop myself from getting hurt; the blade got in first – three times, straight into my abdomen.

He moved away and I crumpled to the floor, cracking my head against the metal floor. My vision was going dark at the edges, but I saw Tasha and Clint running towards me. Natasha broke his neck as Clint ran past her to get to me. I wrapped the ice around me, stopping the bleeding.

"Manda? Amanda! _Amanda_!"

I tried to respond, tried to tell him I'd be okay, but I was fading too fast.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

"She'll be okay Clint"

"How do you know that?"

"Manda's strong, she'll pull through"

"It's been two days…"

"With a head injury like that, and she did lose a lot of blood… They did say it might have something to do with her freezing herself as well – the ice went _into_ the wounds, we don't know what that could have done to her metabolism"

"Yeah, she looked like a bloody sculpture – literally"

I choked out a quiet laugh, "Very funny Barton"

"Amanda!"

Sleepily, I blinked several times until I could see through the haze that blurred my friends' faces. When my eyes focused I was immediately met with Clint's face, a little _too_ close to mine. Clint was sitting cross-legged on my bed, an arm on either side of my shoulders, leaning over me with a joyful grin across his face. "You're awake!"

I laughed drowsily, "Yeah I'm awake, circus boy, get the Hell off me!" The young archer pulled me up into a crushing hug, I yelped "Damn it Clint! Stitches!"

He let me go, _carefully_, "Sorry." He sat up – still grinning – then hopped down off my bed.

"Thank God you're awake" Natasha smiled kindly, "Clint's been driving us all crazy; he's not left your side since the attack – seriously, he got changed in here, ate in here; he hasn't slept at all. And after you thawed out he did go into surgery with you, the doctors were going to kill him"

I laughed when I saw Clint blush ever so slightly, "Aww, was the Little Hawk worried about me?"

Clint leant back on the edge of my bed and shoved his hands in his pockets, "Well I couldn't let them mess it up or anything, could I?"

"Oh no" I said sarcastically, "we couldn't have that" I tried to force myself to sit up against the headrest. As soon as I tried to move, the pain in my stomach came back with a vengeance. Clint immediately put his arms around me, under my arms, and gently pulled me up so I was sitting straight. Natasha moved in and propped the pillow up behind me for comfort and a bit of extra support.

Clint sat me back, "That okay?"

"That's great, thanks" subconsciously I felt my stitches beneath my top. "Tasha?"

"Yeah?"

"Can you go get me a coffee please? I'm craving one. Please?"

Clint shook his head, "Can't believe you drink that stuff – you're, like, twelve!"

"I'm nearly sixteen!"

"Yeah, well you're still a kid"

I stuck my tongue out at him, "You're not _that_ much older than me"

Clint just stuck out his tongue, "I'm nineteen in a month, its ages until you're sixteen"

Natasha rolled her eyes, "Milk, two sugars, yeah?"

"Yeah, thanks Nat"

"You owe me"

"Whatever" I called after her as she left the room.

I sighed and rolled my head back to rest against the headrest. Clint folded his legs back up on my bed and lent his elbows on his knees, "You sure you're alright?"

"Uh-hu"

"You're absolutely fine?"

"Uh-uh"

"Pain relief high enough?"

"Uh-hu"

Clint lent forward, "You listening to me?"

"Uh-hu"

"Hmm, am I the unquestionably best looking agent you've ever seen?"

"Mmm, well…"

"Damn – thought you were gonna fall for that"

"I'm hospitalised Barton, not thick"

He laughed, "Okay then, if I'm not the best looking agent who is?"

"Well, I'd say… Tasha"

"Urg" Clint groaned, "Best _male_ agent?"

"… umm, Phil?"

"Coulson? Shut up"

"Well have you seen the pictures of him from his first year?"

"Manda, seriously, shut up"

"I was just answering you're question" I laughed.

Clint laughed too but then I caught a mischievous glint in his eyes. He shifted so he was beside me, lying on his side, "So Manda, you into older agents then? Looking for a more _experienced_ man?"

"What? Like you? I don't think you count, Darling" I teased.

Clint leant over me, putting on hand down gently on my waist, opposite him, and leant in, "And why ever not?"

I liked this game, I was good at it – teasing Clint was a game I had became master of quite easily. I leant in to whisper in his ear, "I think, Sweetheart, that you need a little more experience than you think you've got, and not just in the field"

"Ooh" Clint scowled mockingly, "naughty girl"

"Don't force your kinks on me Dear"

At that Clint lost it, sitting back and bursting into ridiculous laughter, "Okay" he chuckled, "okay, you win"

"Nice to hear you admit it for a change"

"Hey, I admit when I've lost!"

"Sometimes"

Clint sat forward "Really?" he grinned darkly.

"Yes" I leant in too until we were nearly nose to nose.

"Take it back"

"No"

"Take it back"

"I'm not going to"

"Amanda you take it back right now… or else" Clint grinned, waiting to see who would break first.

"Or else what? You can't tickle me with stitches in"

"Hmm, or I'll… kiss you"

"Will you really?" I retorted sarcastically.

"I will" Clint threatened, a cheeky grin across his face.

"I don't think you will"

"Try me"

"I'm waiting" Everytime Clint had 'threatened' to kiss me he'd backed out, claiming he'd been joking the whole time. I'd almost come to count on it.

Clint inched forward slowly, brushing his nose against mine. It was my turn to falter. I began to blink rapidly, I opened my mouth to say… _something_, but Clint got in there first. My eyes shut and my stomach flipped as Clint's lips carefully pressed against mine. He pressed his tongue against my bottom lip, it took me a second but I realised what he wanted. I opened my mouth and Clint's tongue brushed over my lip and teeth and into my mouth.

"I'm… back?"

Clint and I jumped apart, froze, and stared at each other. Where Tasha stood, I could just see her behind Clint's head. She had my coffee in one hand and three packets of sweets in the other and one eyebrow raised.

"I'm not judging either of you" she said bluntly, walking across the room to put down my coffee and the sweets. She looked blank-faced but I could tell she wanted to laugh. "I'll leave you two alone for a minute" she said with a mocking tone, "Clint, you want a drink, breath-mint?"

Clint looked over his shoulder sheepishly, "I'll get water", Natasha went to go get it but Clint stopped her. "No, _I'll_ get it." Clint turned back to me, pressed another quicker kiss to my lips before hopping down off my bed and walking out of the room. Clint paused at the door, turned back and winked at me before disappearing from view.

I found myself grinning at the empty doorway.

"I can't believe you two" Tasha laughed, pulling up a seat next to my bed.

I flushed deep pink.

"How long was I gone? Three, four minutes?"

"Shut up" I grinned.

"How did he even manage that?"

"I, eh… didn't back down"

Nat laughed, "Wait a second!"

I looked up at her, "What?"

"Was that…"

"Tasha"

"…your…"

"Natasha"

"First _ever_…?"

"Yes! Oh my God, shut up!"

Tasha laughed at my clear embarrassment "Aww, Amanda that's so cute!"

"Nat shut up!"

"Aww" Tasha grinned "to be honest, I'm surprised you've lasted this long with Clint around; he's had his hawk eyes on you for years!"

I gave Tasha _the_ look, the one that said '_seriously shut up now_'.

"Aww Amanda, you have no idea what you've let yourself in for"


	2. Missions Go Wrong

The mission had gone wrong; they knew we were coming. The explosion had sent me across the room; head pounding, ears ringing. Blindly I searched around for Clint and Tasha, unable to see through the dust that had been swept up.

I saw two men – our targets – and tried to get to my feet. But a fierce jolt of pain coursed through me. I looked down and saw my legs – one twisted out at a worrying angle, blood seeping quickly into my trousers; I was numb to the pain but I knew it was just the shock, and it would wear off soon. I stared back at the men, only to see Clint and Tasha take them down – _good_. I turned my attention back to my legs, there was blood everywhere._ God, let them just be broken, please God._ There was an extensive cut at the top of my thigh, blood flowing out around a thick splinter of wood, _damn_. With one hand I gripped the splinter, the other I had ready with fire. I yanked out the wood and immediately burned into the skin, deep into the wound, and cauterised it; I gritted my teeth against the pain - a proper operation could be done once I got back to S.H.I.E.L.D.

I flopped back to the ground taking quick, deep breaths. The shook was wearing off and the pain trickled in. My eyes squeezed shut as I tried to control my breathing. Angrily I beat my fists again the ground, trying to relent some pain – I clenched my fists and let a thick sheet of ice coat my hands before spreading out into the rubble around me. For what seemed like the longest of times, nothing existed but the pain and the violent ringing in my ears.

Suddenly I was jolted back into reality by hands on my shoulders. Opening my eyes, I let the ice fade away. Clint leant over me with Natasha just behind him, "Amanda? Amanda, can you hear me?" his voice sounded distant but I nodded in response. I stared up at my friends, shifting my focus from my pained leg to Clint's face.

"I'm going to reset your leg" Natasha said clearly. I closed my eyes for a moment, set my jaw and nodded. Clint took hold of my hands.

Nat said, "Okay; three…"

_Snap._

I screamed and my whole body arched forward, gripping Clint's hands tight. I snarled and sucked in air through clenched teeth. Clint took both my hands in one of his and wrapped an arm around my back to support me. "Lie back" Tasha ordered. I did as I was told with Clint's help and she raised my legs to direct blood back towards my chest and vital organs.

Clint brushed my hair back from my face, resting my head on his legs, he turned to Nat, "This is why we should have an extraction team" he growled angrily.

"Well we don't" I snapped. I knew what kinds of trouble this would cause when we got back. The three of us had agreed not to have an extraction team ready for this mission. Clint had been reluctant to dismiss the back up because I was technically still too young to be out in the field - but I'd insisted, and Nat had supported me in that. Clint had been worried, unfortunately it was rightly so.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

I sat in a wheelchair in Fury's office, my legs in casts and bandages, and Clint and Natasha standing on either side of me. Fury sat behind his desk, looking up at the man who had called the meeting in the first place, Phil Coulson.

Phil was… _irritated_, to say the least. "Why was there no extraction team?!"

"I discussed the extraction team issue with-"

"Amanda is _seventeen_! She shouldn't even be _doing_ field work!"

"She's been doing field work for almost ten years now, she-"

"She's still just a child!"

I coughed loudly, "Can we not talk about me like I'm not here please? Phil, just _calm_ down – accident's happen"

"Amanda" he said softly, "I understand that you think that you are old enough to-"

"I _am_ old enough! I am old enough to take care of myself, I am old enough to know the dangers of field work and _I_ am old enough to agree, _with my team_, not to have an extraction team ready in a situation where we believed that one would not be necessary. _Stop_ treating me like I'm a little girl – I can look after myself!"

Phil stared at me for a moment. He hadn't even spoken to me between our arrival and now. He hadn't even spoken to me at all; he'd read the field report, panicked and demanded that we had all to report to Fury's office immediately after going to medical. Phil had freaked out, as he usually did, and now there was very little to do that would calm him back down.

"Amanda, you were in an _explosion!_ You were less than _five metres_ from the bomb itself! You could have been killed – you _should_ have been at that distance!"

I glared, "Five weeks ago your team were all kidnapped and held for ransom until another unit rescued you – _you_ could have been killed. What would _I_ do if _you_ died? How could I go on knowing that you weren't coming home? It's the risks we all take as part of the job, just because it was me that got hurt doesn't give you the right to start shouting about it."

Phil couldn't look me in the eye. We'd had conversations like this before – 'one day one of us might not come back', 'one day will be our last mission', or 'we can't be prepared for every eventuality'. Sometimes Phil was protective – and sometimes he was _over_ protective.

Director Fury looked across the room at Clint, Natasha and I. "I think Agent West has made a fair point, Coulson. Romanoff, Barton, have you got anything to add?"

"We knew the risks, Sir. We knew our orders and we kept to protocol." Natasha said robotically. She didn't like getting injured on missions and she hated Clint or I getting hurt even more so – but orders are orders, and we all knew ours.

"Barton?" Fury asked.

"I think Agents West and Romanoff had made enough of a point, Sir" he responded stiffly.

Fury tilted his head, "Is there a problem Agent?"

"No Sir... I don't like my friends getting hurt, Sir, but we all knew what was expected and we all knew the risks. There isn't a problem."

Fury nodded, "Barton, Romanoff, you may leave – West, Coulson, I suggest you two have a talk." Clint and Tasha left, Fury stood up, looked at Phil and I and said, "Tell Hill to lock my office when you're done" before leaving us alone.

I stared up at Phil, hands now resting on the arms of the wheelchair, "well sit down then"

He nodded and pulled over a chair, "Amanda… I'm sorry, I… I just…"

"Worry" I finished. "You worry too much sometimes"

Phil leant forward and took my hand, "I worry because I know what could happen"

"And you think I don't?"

He sighed with a smile, "No, no, I'm sorry; I know you've seen what can happen out there. You're just so young still, and you're so deeply involved with S.H.I.E.L.D. already – I'm worried that you're giving your life away to this too soon."

I nodded, "You were _just_ out of high school when you started – you were eighteen. That's only a year older than I am now."

"Yes, but I _started_ at eighteen, I started _training_ when I was eighteen. You've been under S.H.I.E.L.D.'s guardianship since you were _four_ – you were _fully_ trained by the time you were _seven_ and went on your first field mission when you were _eight years old_. Can you see why I'm worried? You've had no other life outside of this" Phil was upset.

"I get it, Phil, really, I do, but I like being in S.H.I.E.L.D. If I didn't I would have walked out by now, I'm not just going to sit around and accept something I don't want. This _is_ my life. Heck, at this point I don't even know if I'm even capable of doing anything else"

"But don't you see? That's my point. You never had the opportunity to decide that for yourself"

"Well it's too late to do anything about that now, isn't it?" I smiled.

Phil watched me for a moment, sadness in his eyes, "Exactly"

I leant forward and hugged him, wrapping my arms around his shoulders and neck. He hugged me in return, more gently though, more carefully, more protectively. He was always more careful with me after missions, at least this time he had reason. I wouldn't mind if he only got worried when I got hurt, but not every time – when I got back from a mission Phil would always double check that I had no injuries, even scratches or bruises. I couldn't do anything until Phil made sure I was 100% alright; I wasn't even allowed to go to bed until after he'd seen me. And I understood why; I knew how long a relationship would last within S.H.I.E.L.D., and I knew how much shorter a relation would last between an Agent and a non-agent. Phil loved me like his own child, but I knew, realistically, I was the only chance at a family that he had.

I leant back a bit, only enough so I could look him in the eye, "We need to make some agreements"

"Yes, we do" we sat back and Phil took my hand.

"We can't freak out when one of us gets hurt on a mission, unless it's life threatening"

"Agreed"

"You don't check on me after every mission"

"…Agreed"

"You don't second guess my decisions, even when that decision leads to injuries or mission failures, okay?"

Phil nodded, swallowed and quietly said, "Okay, agreed"

"...Anything you want to add?"

Phil laced his fingers in between mine, thinking for a moment be said, "You tell me if you're going on a mission without an extraction plan"

"Agreed and ditto"

He nodded, "I'm allowed to check on you if you are injured"

"Agreed, we don't take time out if the other is injured – we're still needed"

"Agreed if we exclude life threatening injuries"

"Agreed." I smiled, "is that all?"

Phil grinned at me, despite my injury and the pain that he had felt in his heart at that thought, I could still make him smile. "That's all until I think of more" he joked.

With a chuckle, I replied, "Fair enough, fair enough"


	3. 21 in Australia

Australia was lovely that time of year. Tasha had declined our offer of joining us on a night out in Perth, so Clint and I had a night out ourselves – a distinct change from the norm.

We'd left the bars and clubs a while ago and had headed for the beach. I wasn't particularly fond of sand so, upon the mention of the fact, Clint whipped of his shirt and laid it out for me to sit on.

"Aww, how sweet" I teased, curling my legs up on Clint's shirt and pulling off my heeled sandals. I sat there and stared up at him – Christ, Clint had gotten _really_ fit.

He lay down beside me, propping himself up on one elbow, posing like a model with a cheeky grin on his face and muscles on show for everyone to see. Clint took two of the bottles we'd bought out of his rucksack and handed one to me, "Happy twenty first, Gorgeous."

I smiled happily, "It's not until tomorrow"

"I know, this is my early present – you'll get my _real_ present later, but for now you get copious amounts of alcohol, Australian nightlife and my awesome company to enjoy"

"Well thank you very much" I leant over and hugged my friend. Clint wrapped his arm around me and took a drink from his bottle over my shoulder. I laughed, "Get off!"

Clint laughed and leant back, grinning up at me. "You're damn cute when you're happy"

"Cute? Did you just call me _cute_ Barton?"

"I don't know, did I?" he laughed sarcastically.

"I think you did"

Clint laughed. He leant forward a little and ran his hand up my left thigh, "You know, that is an awesome tattoo. Did you get it for any reason? For a special person, maybe? Wow, if that's to represent someone, whoever it is must really mean something to you" as Clint spoke, he traced the hawk on my thigh with a single fingertip.

"Mmm, you think? Maybe it's just something I got on a whim – a random, uninfluenced decision?"

"Mmm, I don't think so" Clint rested his hand on my thigh, looking up from my tattoo into my eyes.

"You don't?" I remarked, feigning shock.

"No – I don't. I think that you got that tattoo because of a _very_ special someone"

"Well, I think _special_ is the right word"

Clint rolled his eyes, "Damn it Manda; that could have been a moment"

"Aww, shucks; that's a shame, ain't it, Little Hawk?"

Clint raised his eyebrows, "Little Hawk, really? Still? _Seriously_?"

I laughed, looking him up and down before replying "You may be all tall and six-pack now but you're forever going to be my Little Hawk"

"Nuh-uh" Clint shook his head, laughing, he sat up and put down his bottle, "No more of that, Smurfette – you're just jealous 'cause I'm so much taller than you now"

"And you're still Little Hawk to me"

Clint lunged forward, pinning my down before I could escape, one knee either side of my waist, "Take it back"

"No!" I whispered.

Taking both my wrists in one hand and holding them above my head, Clint repeated himself, "Take it back" there was that mischievous smirk across his face.

I shook my head.

"I'll tickle" I froze and bit my lip – there was no way I was giving in, and no way was I 'taking it back'. "Amanda" Clint teased slowly, "Don't force my hand"

"I ain't forcing anything… Little H_awk_!" I squealed as Clint began to ruthlessly tickle my side, "CLINT!"

He laughed as I squirmed beneath him. I kicked my legs as I yelped, "Dammit Clinton!" I yelled helplessly.

Clint paused for a second, "Give up yet?"

Quickly I brought my legs back and wrapped them round Clint's torso "No." Easily, I flipped Clint onto his back and held him down, and sitting cross-legged on his stomach, I pinned his arms by his sides. "_I_ win" Clint wriggled for a moment before becoming worryingly still. "Clint?" I said suspiciously.

He shot up, somehow getting to his feet with me over his shoulders. I screamed. "Clint! Put! Me! _Down_!"

He laughed and began walking towards the ocean, "Nope"

I realised what he was about to do and started kicking and squirming, it wasn't as if I could even grab onto his shirt seeing as he'd discarded it already. "No! No, no, NO! NO!" I managed to slip down off his shoulders and tried to run back up the beach, but he was faster – I was hopeless at running on sand. I curled myself up into a tight ball, hoping it would stop him from getting a hold of me, but I was wrong. Along with a good few handfuls of sand, Clint scooped me up into his arms and walked back down the beach.

"I think," he laughed, "that a certain young agent, is going for a drop in the ocean." He grinned, "What do you think?" I wriggled until I managed to wrap my arms and legs around Clint's torso, I held tight – if I was going down, so was he. "Is that how you want to play it?" Clint teased, "Okay" he kicked off his shoes and socks, got a tight grip of me then ran straight into the sea.

"CLINT!" I fought and squirmed until I was sitting up on Clint's shoulders, desperately trying to stay dry, "TURN BACK RIGHT NOW!"

"Nope!" he called and dived down into the water, me falling in with him. Everything slowed as I floated under the water for a moment before breaking back up for air.

I shook my hair from my face, "_Clint!_"

He emerged beside me, the same cheeky grin across his face, "Yes Darling?"

I splashed water in his face, "I hate you"

"No you don't"

Under the water, my legs and arms were working frantically to keep me up until my breathing calmed back down to normal. I stuck my tongue out at Clint before swimming closer to him and holding on around his neck.

"Aww, what's wrong Beautiful – to short to touch to stand?"

"Yes" I growled.

"Aww" Clint wrapped his arms gently around my waist and pulled me close to him until we were chest to chest. I could feel my short dress floating out around me, so did Clint. "Do you want me to get that for you?" He slid one hand down over my arse to hold the light fabric down under the water, "Better?" he asked smugly.

"You're a little shit, you know that?"

"Uh-hu"

I sighed, "You're ridiculous"

"Why thank you"

I rolled my eyes then leant my head forward, resting my forehead against Clint's – looking him in the eye, I said, "Come on Hawkeye"

"Ooh, I'm getting 'Hawkeye' now? Cool"

I groaned softly, "There was almost a moment there"

"Oh, sorry – try again"

"Seriously?"

"Yeah, go on"

I sighed, looked Clint in the eye and said softly, "Come on Hawkeye"

Clint smiled and leant in for a quick kiss. When I kissed him in return, neither of us pulled away. Clint pressed his tongue against my lip; I opened my mouth and let him in. I moaned into Clint's mouth. When Clint eventually pulled back a little, he kissed my cheek, then kissed again slightly further along, again and again right down my neck to my collar bone.

"Clint" I breathed; letting my head fall forward, I lent my forehead against his shoulder, "Take me back to the hotel"

"Mmm, okay then" Clint lifted me up a little with the hand that was on my arse and I wrapped my legs around his waist.

Clint began walking back towards the beach. "Clint," I whispered.

"Yeah"

"You're an idiot."

He laughed quietly, "okay"

"And guess what?"

"What?"

"I really don't care."


	4. index

This story is one of a series. In chronological order they are;

- The Adventures of Young Amanda West (to be completed)

- A West Wind Comes Blowing (1 chapter + index)

- Avengers Assemble (3 chapters + index)

- Even Agents Need Time To Recover (3 chapters + index)

- Lorelei (2 chapters + index)

- The Winter Soldier (6 chapters + index)

- Happy Birthday (1 chapter + index)

I'll update this as more stories are published :)


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